Lesson 1
Australia is nicknamed “______________” because it is located south of, or “under,” the Equator
“The Land Down Under”
Just south of Australia’s southeastern coast is a unique island called __________.
Tasmania
Australia and New Zealand were colonized by the ________.
British.
___________ is the most common religion in the region.
Christianity
is the world’s _________ continent, but it is the world’s sixth-largest _______. New Zealand is made up of ______ islands
smallest, country, and two
___________ are pools of hot water that occur naturally. They form in rocky areas when rainwater seeps into cracks in Earth’s surface. Water is exposed to intense heat, and then bubbles back up to gather in surface pools.
Hot springs
The first humans to live on the islands of New Zealand were the _______. The Maori people came to New Zealand much later than the ___________ people came to Australia.
Maori and Aboriginal
______ is the official language in Australia. New Zealand has three official languages: _______, _________, and ________.
New Zealand: English, Maori, and New Zealand sign language.
Overall, however, Australia has _____ elevation. It generally has a ______ climate. One-third of Australia is covered by _____.
low, dry, desert
________ are hot springs that sometimes shoot hot water out of the ground. The water in these are warmed by heat energy from deep within Earth.
Geysers
Perhaps the most well-known British explorer was the sailor Captain __________. He carried out three voyages in the 1760s and 1770s. Following Cook’s explorations, the British government prepared to send settlers to the wild, unexplored lands of Australia. What was the First Fleet?
James Cook. Most of the first colonists sent to Australia did not go by choice. In 1788 a group of 11 British ships, known as the First Fleet, landed on Australia’s east coast. The crowded ships carried 778 convicted criminals from the British Isles. The First Fleet also included 250 soldiers and government officials.
The term ________ means any large, undeveloped area where few people live. The phrase can refer to any location that is wild, unsettled, and rough, such as the Australian desert known as the ______.
bush. Outback
One of Australia’s most fascinating landforms is found in the Central Lowlands. A massive, solid stone called a ______ The ________ call it Uluru. Uluru is an official ______________.
monolith, Aboriginals, and World Heritage site
Australia and New Zealand are located in the ___________ Hemisphere. How are their seasons different from the United States?
Australia and New Zealand are located in the Southern Hemisphere, so their seasons are at opposite times of year from seasons in the United States. For example, June, July, and August are winter months in the region. Summer months are December, January, and February.
In 1951 Australia, New Zealand, and the United States signed a mutual security treaty called the ___________. What was this treaty meant to guarantee?
ANZUS Pact. This treaty was meant to guarantee protection and cooperation among the three countries in case of military threats in the Pacific region.
Australia and New Zealand have experienced revivals in Aboriginal and Maori cultures. What are two examples the book discussed regarding instruments/tools that are still seen in today's society?
Boomerang and didgeridoo. Action songs like the Haka would work too
The Great Barrier Reef is made up of nearly 3,000 smaller coral reefs extending for more than 1,250 miles (2,012 km). These reefs formed over millions of years. Explain how coral forms reefs. Be sure to use algae in your response.
As corals lived, grew, and died, their hard skeletons built layer upon layer, forming large underwater formations called reefs. Coral reefs are held together by algae and tiny bits of plant and animal matter that become stuck in the reefs.
Bandicoots, kangaroos, and koalas are 3 of the 150 native species of ________ in Australia. What does this term mean?
A marsupial is a type of mammal that raises its young in a pouch on the mother’s body.
In 1851 an English prospector found ______ near Bathurst, New South Wales. How many people yearly flocked to Australia as a result?
gold. People from around the world flocked to Australia at a rate of 90,000 per year.
New Zealand enjoys one important benefit of its location along the ___________: easy access to geothermal energy. ________________ is naturally occurring heat energy produced by extremely hot liquid rock in Earth’s upper mantle.
Ring of Fire. Geothermal energy.